


Naming of Parts

by Dira Sudis (dsudis)



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-06
Updated: 2009-12-06
Packaged: 2017-10-04 05:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsudis/pseuds/Dira%20Sudis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"You're going to need a name."</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Naming of Parts

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Doctor belongs only to himself, though he apparently lets BBC hold the rights on this planet at this time.
> 
> Beta thanks to Iulia!
> 
> This story was first posted July 8, 2008.

They'd walked half the length of the beach before Rose seemed to make up her mind that she was speaking to him. She stopped within sight, but not hearing, of where Jackie was shouting into a cell phone--hopefully about getting them a ride to somewhere warm--and looked up at him thoughtfully.

"You're going to need a name," she said. She didn't bother to say _you're not the Doctor, you're not Him, and I won't pretend you are_.

He nodded acquiescence. He wasn't, and he didn't want to pretend either--and the best friend he had in this world was the one person he could never fool, anyway. He looked away, out to sea, and said, "I was thinking of Don."

It started with _Do_, rhymed with _John_. It would pass as a patch-job of pieces of his old names--what had passed for his names, to various people, in various places, at least. None of them true, but his true name was not a secret a human Time Lord had to bear.

"Don Noble?" Rose asked, looking out to sea beside him.

He shrugged. He couldn't fool Rose about any of it, of course; she would know that it was nothing but an awkward abbreviation of a name, just as he was an awkward abbreviation of himself--and of her. "I am rather her bastard twin brother now. As much as his."

Rose nodded thoughtfully, and he summoned up his courage and took the chance, because they both knew what stakes they were playing for now, even if neither of them had any idea of the odds of victory. One kiss--surprised and surprising--wasn't much to judge by. "I mean, unless you wanted to allow me Tyler, right out of the gate."

Rose raised an eyebrow, but at least she was meeting his eyes again. He'd made more awkward proposals of marriage, and had them rejected less kindly.

"You'll have to earn that," she said briskly, and set out across the sand; Jackie was waving them toward her, and he followed Rose quickly, not at all eager to be left behind. Norway hadn't been this bloody cold the last time he'd visited.

"_And_ ask my dad and mum's permission," she added over her shoulder; her hair was whipping about in the wind, obscuring her face, but he heard a hint of a smile.

It was a relief, until he actually considered the prospect of asking Jackie and Pete Tyler for their permission to join the family, rightly and properly and permanently. When his heart dropped a beat in sheer terror at the thought, there wasn't another one beside it, to make it up.

He stumbled, and Rose caught his hand. "Come on then, Mr. Noble. Let's start making your introductions."


End file.
